Quirk Accident & Injury Attorneys, APC, protects bicyclists who suffer dog bites while riding in Thousand Oaks. Our Thousand Oaks dog bite lawyers offer a free case consultation to all victims in Ventura County. Contact our office to schedule a confidential case review as soon as possible. You are under no obligation for this meeting. It’s an easy way to determine what your bite injury may be worth and who can be held responsible.
The Risks of Dog Bites While Riding a Bike
For some reason, dogs love to chase things. If a dog owner carelessly leaves a pet loose and where it is able to pursue someone on a bike, a dog attack and bite may result.
Riders can have their feet, ankles, and calves closest to a dog’s teeth and suffer deep wounds, tendon damage, and even bone fractures. These injuries can develop infections due to the bacteria in the dog’s mouth and be hard to heal from. Broken bones can be left with jagged edges that don’t want to set and heal properly. Victims may need weeks or months of expensive care to heal.
When medical costs will be high, it’s a good indicator that you could benefit from the help of a dog bite attorney. Insurance companies make it harder to earn a settlement check when they know that hospital expenses are growing. They can try to blame the victim for a bite or pretend that an injury isn’t all that serious. Your lawyer defends you from these accusations and fights to maximize the benefits you receive.
Who Is Responsible if a Dog Bites Me While I’m Riding a Bike?
California is a “strict liability” dog bite state. Some states don’t hold dog owners responsible for dog bites if it’s the dog’s first bite incident. But in California, dog owners are liable for bite wounds even if a dog has never shown aggression.
A bicyclist could sue a dog owner for a dog bite as long as the rider wasn’t…
- Trespassing at the time of the bite.
- Provoking the dog.
Your dog bite lawyer fully investigates your accident and the dog owner. A dog bite lawyer would file a claim against the dog owner’s home insurance policy or renter’s insurance and back it with strong evidence so the insurance adjuster couldn’t find reasons to discount or reject your case.
What If I Get Hurt When a Dog Knocks Me Off a Bike?
Strict liability makes it easier to determine who is financially responsible for a dog bite (usually the dog owner), but it doesn’t apply when no bite occurs. Of course, dogs can cause harm to bicyclists without actually biting.
A big dog can easily knock a rider off a bike to suffer a devastating collision with the ground. A dog could also chase riders out into traffic and leave them vulnerable to a dangerous vehicle collision.
Victims in these situations could still sue dog owners, but different personal injury laws would apply. The biggest difference would be that more evidence would be needed to prove a knock-down accident was caused by a dog and the negligence of an owner. Quirk Accident & Injury Attorneys, APC, can help you prove that a dog owner is fully to blame.
Child Bicyclist Dog Bite Dangers
Children are all too often the victim of bicycle accidents and unfortunately, their small stature makes them vulnerable to dog bites too.
Dogs can chase down a child on a bike and reach any part of the body, including the neck, head, and face. A child’s bones are easier to break in the grip of a dog’s mouth.
A compassionate dog bite lawyer understands that a child’s injuries may appear to heal but could show back up to cause problems in the years to come. A broken bone suffered early in life can affect development in the teen years and surgery or physical therapy could be necessary. A lawyer would seek additional compensation for parents and children to cover any trouble that arises in the future.
Compensation Available for Bicyclists Bitten by Dogs
Cyclists should be fully supported as they recover and must be off their bikes for weeks or months. They shouldn’t have to worry about how they’ll support their families until they are strong enough to return to work.
Your lawyer will be demanding compensation for these hardships and more:
- Past medical invoices and those expected in the future.
- Long-term support for any permanent disability. Money to pay for restorative surgery if a scar or a disfigurement is left behind.
- Support for the physical pain suffered.
- Support for the emotional trauma, including PTSD symptoms after a dog attack, that victims must cope with.
- Money to pay for transportation to medical appointments and travel costs to see out-of-town specialists.
- Lost paychecks while victims must miss work.
- Reimbursement for property damage, including for a new bike if necessary.
Contact a Thousand Oaks Dog Bite Lawyer
After a scary bite incident, victims should get the best medical care available without having to worry about how much hospital bills will be. Allow us to handle your case and fight for your rights, while you are given the time to focus on healing.
Schedule a free case review with Quirk Accident & Injury Attorneys, APC. It’s a risk-free way to determine the level of support you should demand and how to hold a dog owner fully accountable. There’s no obligation, but if you feel we can help earn more in support for your family, you won’t need to bring any money with you. We don’t get paid unless we win your case for your family. Then our fee comes out of the settlement award you receive.